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Welcome to BioNews

BioNews is a monthly news-

letter produced by the Dutch

Caribbean Nature Alliance

(DCNA), which provides

an update on biodiversity

research and monitoring

efforts currently underway

on and around the six islands

of the Dutch Caribbean as

well as an overview of related

events and meetings in the

near future.

For any questions or

feedback, or if you would

like to make a contribution,

please contact us at

research@DCNAnature.org

Photo credits:

All photos courtesy of

SHAPE Photography & B.S. & R.D. Kirkby

unless otherwise credited.

Layout & Design: Robert Jan van Oosten.

13ISSUE

FEBRUARY2014

This IssueRats Stealing Eggs 1

Reports And Publications 2Monitoring Overview 3

New Biodiversity Records 4Lionfish Control Successful 6

Reports And Publications 7Calendar 8

Bringing you the latest in research and monitoring

news from the Dutch CaribbeanBioNews

This month’s issue profiles several scientific dis-coveries with new implications for conservation in the Dutch Caribbean. On St. Eustatius, the first evidence of a rat stealing a seabird egg from a nest was captured with the use of camera traps - a component of STENAPA’s Red-billed Tropicbird conservation work. On Curaçao, a research team from Naturalis Biodiversity Center in the Neth-erlands carried out dedicated surveys on crabs, shrimps and molluscs living in association with corals and other invertebrate hosts. The study yields several new species records for Curaçao,

Editor’s Notesnew symbiotic associations and possibly even species new to science. Caribbean-wide, lionfish removal efforts have been a major component of conservation action in regards to this invasive predator. New evidence suggests this could be a permanent, but successful solution in control-ling and limiting the impacts of the Lionfish. Additionally, the lionfish control website (www.lionfishcontrol.org), originally set up by STINAPA Bonaire and DCNA to support and monitor li-onfish control efforts has been expanded to in-clude Aruba, Curaçao and St. Maarten.

Dutch Caribbean Nature AllianceSafeguarding nature in the Dutch Caribbean

BREAKING NEWS:Rats confirmed stealing eggs on St. Eustatiusby Adrian J. Delnevo

After a few seasons of research on the population biology and nesting success of Red-billed

Tropicbirds on Saba and St. Eustatius, important information on the threats to their breeding

success is starting to become clearer. Urgent actions to remove some predatory feral cats on

Saba appear to be benefiting nesting success at an adjacent colony. However, on St. Eustatius,

long-suspected predation by rats has recently been confirmed, and suggests that a range of ad-

ditional conservation measures will be required to benefit Red-billed Tropicbirds, and this may

vary between Saba and St. Eustatius. Continued on page 2 >>

Rat stealing Red-billed Tropicbird egg from nestPhoto credit: STENAPA

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Below you will find an overview of the research work underway in the Dutch Caribbean in January 2014.

Category Subject Islands Organisation: Lead Scientist

Mammals Invasive Vervet Monkey survey SXM Nature Foundation: Etienne Lake

Birds Red-billed Tropicbird breeding success and effects of invasive predators(incl. predator control) SAB IMARES: Dolfi Debrot, Erik van der

Woude & Martijn Terpstra

Birds Pilot study of post-fledging survival of Yellow-shouldered Amazon Parrots BON Echo: Sam WilliamsUoS: Isabelle Dean

Plants Phenology study of Yellow-shouldered Amazon food tree species BON Echo: Sam Williams

Invasives Grazing pressure by feral goats EUX IMARES: Dolfi Debrot

Invasives Invasive seagrass colonisation, productivity and herbivory by sea turtles in Lac Bay BON

STCB: Mabel NavaSTINAPA Bonaire: Sabine EngelVU: Tineke van Bussel

Geomorphology Benthic habitat mapping SAB IMARES: Erik Meesters & Ingrid van Beek

Socio-economic TEEB (The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity) study for Sabaand St. Eustatius

SAB, EUX

VU: Pieter van BeukeringWKICS: Esther Wolfs

Ecosystems Quantitative community/ecosystem (flora & fauna) population ecology SAB Adrian Delnevo

Don’t see your research on this list? Email us: research@DCNAnature.org

Research Overview

BioNews Issue 13 P-2

Red-billed Tropicbirds only lay one egg and thus any egg or chick loss will typically result in failed breeding for that year. Some birds may lay a second egg, but these are usually unsuccess-ful. Nest failure may be due to numerous causes, including one of the pair dying or changing nesting partner, rock falls or collapsed burrows, insufficient food, immature or inexperienced birds, and nest predation by rats, cats, crabs and even goats. Studies elsewhere on other seabird species have shown that controlling one preda-tor may result in an increase in other predators. For example, when cats were removed, this led to increased numbers of rats. However, the find-ings were mixed, and in some studies, control-ling cats did result in an increase in rats, but in

>> Continued from page 1: Rats confirmed stealing eggs on St. Eustatius

other studies, there was no increase in rats. Cats are clearly a significant predator of tropicbirds, at least at some colonies, on Saba, but we do not fully understand the complex relationship be-tween tropicbirds, cats, rats and other predators.

An analysis of last year’s camera trap data shows that cats primarily prey on Red-billed Tropicbird chicks. However, the additional new evidence suggests that rats tend to prefer tropicbird eggs. Progress has been made, but further research into the island-specific predator-prey relationships be-tween these three (and other) species will have to continue in order to come up with an appropriate and effective conservation plan to ensure the sur-vival and sustainability of these magnificent birds.

Tropicbirds often nest in crevices between the rocksPhoto credit: B.S. & R.D. Kirkby

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Below you will find an overview of the monitoring programmes for which fieldwork took place on the islands in January 2014. Please check DCNA’s website for a complete overview of all long-term monitoring programmes that are in place in the Dutch Caribbean (www.dcnanature.org/resources/research-monitoring)

Category Subject Islands Organisation: Lead Scientist

Mammals Marine mammal sightings1

BON,SAB, EUX, SXM

BON: Martin de GraafSCF: Kai WulfSTENAPA: Jessica BerkelNature Foundation: Tadzio Bervoets

Mammals Bat abundance, distribution, reproduction and behaviour ARU, BON

FPNA: Indra ZaandamSTINAPA Bonaire: Fernando SimalCARMABI: Clifford de LannoyIVIC: Jafet Nassar

Birds Annual Yellow-shouldered Amazon parrot roost counts BONDRO: Frank van SlobbeSTINAPA: Fernando SimalEcho: Sam Williams

Birds Red-billed Tropicbirds diet composition SAB Adrian Delnevo and students SCF: Kai Wulf

Birds Red-billed Tropicbirds breeding success (and egg loss) SAB, EUX

Adrian Delnevo SCF: Kai Wulf STENAPA: Hannah Madden

Birds Flamingo abundance (monthly counts) BON DRO: Frank van Slobbe STINAPA Bonaire: Fernando Simal

Reptiles Sea turtle in-water surveys SXM Nature Foundation: Tadzio Bervoets

Reptiles Sea turtle foraging grounds monitoring BON STCB: Mabel Nava

Reptiles Sea turtle nesting and beach patrol

ARU,BON, EUX, SXM

Turtugaruba: E. & R. van der Wal STCB: Mabel Nava STENAPA: Jessica Berkel Nature Foundation: Tadzio Bervoets

Reptiles Sea turtle sightingsBON, EUX, SXM

STCB: Mabel Nava STENAPA: Jessica Berkel Nature Foundation: Tadzio Bervoets

Fish Fisheries landingsBON, SAB, EUX

IMARES: Martin de Graaf, Teun Boon (Bonaire)SBMU: Jimmy van Rijn (Saba)LVV: Erik Boman (St. Eustatius)

Fish Shark tagging and migration SXM Nature Foundation: Tadzio Bervoets

Fish Fish surveys using stereo baited remote video SAB, EUX

IMARES: Martin de Graaf, Dolfi Debrot & Twan Schoffers (Saba) LVV: Erik Boman

Mollusks Queen Conch reproduction, distribution & abundance SAB, EUX

IMARES: Martin de Graaf SBMU: Jimmy van Rijn LVV: Erik Boman (St. Eustatius)

Crustaceans Lobster reproduction EUXIMARES: Martin de GraafSBMU: Jimmy van RijnLVV: Erik Boman

Crustaceans Lobster larvae abundance SAB, EUX

IMARES: Martin de Graaf SBMU: Jimmy van Rijn LVV: Erik Boman

Plants Seagrass monitoring SXM Nature Foundation: Tadzio Bervoets

Plants Reforestation project on Klein Bonaire BON STINAPA: Elsmarie Beukenboom

Plants Phenology study of cyclic activity columnar cacti and agave(associated with ongoing bat monitoring programme)

ARU, BON

FPNA: Indra Zaandam STINAPA Bonaire: Fernando Simal

Plants Phenology study of columnar cacti and native tree species on Bonaire BON STINAPA Bonaire: Paulo Bertuol & Fernando Simal

Plants Ongoing study of flora of Aruba, Bonaire and Curaçao ARU, BON, CUR Naturalis/WUR: André van Proosdij

Terrestrial Biodiversity Habitat structure, composition, and diversity; remote and automated monitoring of invertebrates, mammals, birds, amphibians and reptiles SAB Adrian Delnevo

SCF: Kai Wulf

Invasives Lionfish abundance

ARU, BON, CUR, SAB, EUX, SXM

STINAPA Bonaire: Ramon de Leon CARMABI: Mark Vermeij SBMU: Jimmy van Rijn STENAPA Nature Foundation: Tadzio Bervoets

Environmental Water quality in Simpson Bay Lagoon and Great Bay and ponds SXM Nature Foundation: Tadzio Bervoets with SLAC

Environmental Cloud forest monitoring of variable environmental parameters on Mt. Scenery, Windwardside and Fort Bay SAB SCF: Tom van ’t Hof & Kai Wulf

Geomorphological Beach profile change over time SAB, EUX Jennifer Rahn

Human impact Diver visitation

BON, SAB,EUX, SXM

STINAPA Bonaire: Ramon de LeonSCF: Kai WulfSTENAPANature Foundation: Tadzio Bervoets

1. As part of fisheries monitoring on Saba and St. Eustatius by Meike Scheidat and Martin de Graaf (IMARES).

Don’t see your monitoring programme on this list? Email us: research@DCNAnature.org

Monitoring Overview

Would you like secure storage

and dynamic analysis for your

research and monitoring

data? Work with Alterra and

IMARES to develop a user-

friendly process for data

input, management and basic

analysis, including statistics,

graphics and maps, within the

Dutch Caribbean Biodiversity

Database (www.dcbd.nl).

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Atlantic Pearl Oyster Shrimp (Pontonia manningi) among the gills of the bivalve Atlantic Thorny Oyster (Spondylus americanus)Photo credit: Charles Fransen

BioNews Issue 13

Exploratory marine biodiversity research in the Caribbean and Curaçao in particular has been car-ried out extensively in the early and mid-20th cen-tury. Both deep and shallow water research was carried out by scientists mainly from the United States, France and the Netherlands. The histori-cal collections from the Dutch Caribbean were generated by trawling and dredging from large research vessels, shore collecting, and to some ex-tend using SCUBA. The most extensive Dutch Ca-ribbean collections are now housed in Naturalis Biodiversity Center in Leiden, the Netherlands. In the last three decades, the focus of research shift-ed from biodiversity to ecology, behaviour and conservation among others. In recent years how-ever there is a renewed interest in the biodiver-sity of the Dutch Caribbean as it is threatened by human-mediated processes like climate change, coastal development, biotic invasions, tourism and overfishing. The Naturalis Marine Biodiversity

Team is presently developing research projects in the area. The combination of taxonomic expertise and historical collections at Naturalis provides a solid basis for the study of biodiversity shifts caused by human-mediated processes Selected taxonomic groups are used as a proxy to detect biodiversity changes in the area.

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From 16 October to 9 November 2013, three members of the Naturalis Marine Biodiversity

Team performed fieldwork on the reefs of Curaçao investigating crabs, shrimps and molluscs

living in association with various invertebrate groups. Dives were made at 23 locations along

the southwest coast of Curaçao and one location on the northeast coast. One dive was made by

submersible with the ‘Curasub’ from Substation Curaçao, exploring the deep reefs. Many new

records for the Curaçao marine fauna were established, including new associations and even

species new to science.

‘Research of the Month’ : New Biodiversity Records For Curaçaoby Sancia E.T. van der Meij, Bastian T. Reijnen and Charles H.J.M. Fransen

Members of the Naturalis Marine Biodiversity Team in the Curasub. Left to right: Charles Fransen, Bastian Reijnen and Sancia van der Meij.Photo credit: Barry Brown, Substation Curaçao

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gall crabs are available for Curaçao or, in fact, any other of the Dutch Caribbean islands. During the expedition at least three gall crab species were recorded from 21 different coral hosts, seven of which are new associations. One of the newly re-corded gall crab species may constitute a range extension of a species described from Brazil. This is currently being studied in more detail.

The third member of the team, Bastian Reijnen, studied Octocorallia (gorgonians and soft cor-als) as well as members of the gastropod fam-ily Ovulidae. Most ovulid snails live in obligate symbiosis with octocorals and are therefore highly dependent on their coral hosts. Like the gall crabs, the highest species diversity of both species groups can be found in the Indo-Pacific, but the Atlantic has its own unique species. The shallow water Octocorallia were studied and described by F.M. Bayer in the 1960s, neverthe-less the expedition may have discovered three new species of gorgonians in the shallow wa-ters around Curaçao. Close examination of the octocoral samples also revealed new host spe-cies for a number of Atlantic Ovulidae, for exam-ple the Fingerprint Flamingo Tongue (Cyphoma signatum) was found on a Purple Sea Fan (Gor-gonia ventalina), whilst it was only known from the octocoral Plexaurella dichotoma. In addi-tion, while deep diving with the Curasub, many rarely seen species of soft coral (Octocorallia) were recorded. One of the questions that arose from this deep dive with a submersible is if the gorgonians and soft corals found in deep water have associations with new shrimp and/or ovu-lid species.

Material collected will be further analysed at Naturalis Biodiversity Center in the Netherlands using, among others, molecular techniques to reveal phylogenetic relationships and discover possible cryptic species. Several scientific pub-lications describing new species, new associa-tions and other interesting observations are ex-pected to be published from 2014 onwards.

BioNews Issue 13 P-5

Charles Fransen studied a group of symbiotic shrimp, which form associations with various reef organisms such as sponges, anemones, echinoderms, sea squirts and molluscs. World-wide about 600 species have been recognized of which 59 have been recorded in the Carib-bean. From Curaçao, only 7 species were pre-viously recorded in the scientific literature. The recent surveys recorded a total of 25 species, constituting many new records for Curaçao. Among the findings is a new species of shrimp that lives in association with a stony coral. This type of association has not been recorded for the Caribbean, and for the entire Atlantic Ocean, before. Another interesting observa-tion was made during a dive with the Curasub. Invited by its owner, Adriaan ‘Dutch’ Schrier, the research team joined him in a dive on the southwest shore of Curaçao to a depth of 270 metres. At about 220 metres they observed sea urchins hosting shrimps. These sea urchins, Pa-leopneustes tholoformis, were collected togeth-er with the shrimps by the meticulous manoeu-vring of Curasub pilot Bruce Brandt and skilled handling of the submersible’s collecting gear by Adriaan ‘Dutch’ Schrier himself. The shrimp (Diapontonia maranulus) turned out to be a species known only from a dive to 244-309 me-tres with the Johnson Sea Link submersible off Grand Bahama Island. From the present study, it is expected that more extensive research on shallow and deep reefs using SCUBA and the Curasub submersible will yield many new re-cords for the marine fauna of Curaçao.

Sancia van der Meij studied coral-gall crabs (Cryptochiridae), a family of small crabs that live in obligate symbiosis with stony corals. Currently around 50 gall crab species are recognized from both shallow and deep reefs worldwide. Most species have been described from the Indo-Pa-cific, only four species are known from the Ca-ribbean. One of these species was recorded from Piscadera Bay by the Dutch carcinologist L.B. Holthuis in 1957. No other historical records of

Galls of Troglocarcinus corallicola (indicated by arrows) in Mountainous Star Coral (Orbicella faveolata), the gall crabs are just visible.Photo credit: Sancia van der Meij.

If you have suggestions

for projects we could

profile as ‘Research of

the Month’ in BioNews,

please let us know.

A common sight on the reefs of Curaçao, Flamingo Tongue (Cypho-ma gibbosum) on a Pseudoplexaura sp. Photo credit: Bastian Reijnen

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Since its first occurrence in the wider region in the early 90s, various Caribbean islands have taken different approaches how to deal with the invasion, ranging from immediate control efforts to a deliberate hands-off approach. Being highly dependent on dive-tourism, Bonaire, as well as other Dutch Caribbean islands, has taken a pro-active approach to combat the lionfish invasion with the help of trained volunteers. Additionally, systematic assessment studies were carried out by the nature conservation organisations on the islands to measure the effectiveness of the con-trol programmes.

Complete eradication is impossible due to con-stant recruitment from unfished locations, such as locations too deep for recreational diving and/or inaccessible locations. However, new research suggests that continuous control efforts may be able to suppress the population and eventually allowing native fish stocks to return. A predictive study using computer models, as well as data col-lected from 24 coral reefs in the Bahamas, found that if 75% - 95% of the Lionfish on a single reef were removed, the native fish would increase 50% to 70% within 18 months. The biomass of larger individuals, including ecologically impor-tant grazers and economically important fisher-ies species, had increased by 10-65% by the end of the 18 months. By contrast, the biomass of small native fishes declined by more than 50% on all reefs where Lionfish densities were insuf-ficiently suppressed during the experiment.

Lionfish Control Efforts Show Success

A first evaluation of the effectiveness of the li-onfish removal programmes on Bonaire and Cu-raçao also indicates that they have a significant impact. Lionfish numbers are almost three times lower in fished areas over unfished areas on the same island. This proves that control efforts us-ing volunteers are successfully reducing local density and biomass of lionfish on our reefs, which helps protect our native reef fish species.

In 2012, an online application was developed by STINAPA Bonaire and DCNA to allow park staff and lionfish hunters to record their observations and lionfish kills on Bonaire (www.lionfishcontrol.org). The application allows this data to be viewed on a map, which gives an unprecedented insight into lionfish distribution and removal efforts and allows park staff to begin to gauge the effects of their population control efforts. This web-based and mobile-device-friendly application has recently been expanded to include Aruba, Curaçao and St. Maarten after a successful pilot period on Bonaire in which over 10,000 records have been entered.

Now, Lionfish hunters and ocean-going public from Aruba, Bonaire, Curaçao and St. Maarten can record their observations and captures of Li-onfish in an easy-to-understand and informative way. In combination with additional research, the information provided by this citizen science initiative gives unprecedented insight into lion-fish distribution and success of removal efforts.

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Despite being one of the most beautiful and elegant fish on the Caribbean coral reefs nowa-

days, the Lionfish (Pterois volitans/miles) has a much darker side to its existence. Native to the

Indo-Pacific region, Lionfish could not be found anywhere in the Dutch Caribbean prior to 2009.

Their rapid reproduction cycles (30,000 eggs every four days), unique hunting style, voracious

appetite and lack of any significant predator make the Lionfish an ominous threat to Caribbean

reef biodiversity. Studies in the Bahamas have shown an alarming >75% reduction in juvenile

native reef fish where Lionfish are present.

Conservation Organisations ofthe Dutch Caribbean

ArubaFundacion ParkeNacional Arikoktel: +297-585-1234www.arubanationalpark.org

BonaireSTINAPA Bonairetel: +599-717-8444www.stinapa.org

BonaireSTCBtel: +599-717-2225www.bonaireturtles.org

BonaireEchotel. +599-701-1188www.echobonaire.org

CuraçaoCARMABItel: +599-9-462-4242www.carmabi.org

Lionfish are a threat to Dutch Caribbean reef biodiversityPhoto credit: Rudy van Geldere

Impression of the Dutch Caribbean Lionfish Control websiteImage credit: DCNA

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Conservation Organisations of the Dutch Caribbean

CuraçaoStichting Uniek Curaçaotel: +599-9-462-8989 / 6632www.uniekcuracao.org

SabaSaba Conservation Foundationtel: +599-416-3295www.sabapark.org

St. EustatiusSTENAPAtel: +599-318-2884www.statiapark.org

St. MaartenNature Foundation tel: +721-544-4267www.naturefoundationsxm.org

St. MaartenEmilio Wilson Estate FDNtel: +1-721-524-1516www.sxmconservation-foundations.org/ewef

SABA CONSERVATIO

N

FOUNDATION

List of Acronyms

ARU Aruba

BON Bonaire

CUR Curaçao

BON Bonaire

SAB Saba

EUX St. Eustatius (Statia)

SXM St. Maarten

CaMPAM Caribbean Marine Protected Areas Management

CARMABI Caribbean Research and Management of Biodiversity Foundation

CBD Convention on Biological Diversity

CIEE Council on International Educational Exchange

DCBD Dutch Caribbean Biodiversity Database

DCNA Dutch Caribbean Nature Alliance

DRO Directorate of Spatial Planning and Development, Bonaire

EPIC Environmental Protection In Caribbean

EEZ Exclusive Economic Zone

FPNA Fundacion Parke Nacional Arikok

IMARES Institute for Marine Resources and Ecosystem Studies

IUCN International Union for the Conservation of Nature

IMO International Maritime Organization

IVIC Venezuelan Institute for Scientific Research

LVV Department of Agriculture, Animal Husbandry and Fisheries

Min EZ Ministry of Economic Affairs

NBC Naturalis Biodiversity Center, Leiden, the Netherlands

NIOZ Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research, The Netherlands

SCF Saba Conservation Foundation

SLAC Simpson Bay Lagoon Authority Corporation, St. Maarten

STCB Sea Turtle Conservation Bonaire

STENAPA St. Eustatius National Parks

STINAPA Stichting Nationale Parken Bonaire

TEEB The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity

UoS University of Sheffield, UK

VU Amsterdam University, the Netherlands

WIDECAST Wider Caribbean Sea Turtle Network

WKICS WolfsKater International Consultancy Services B.V.

WUR Wageningen University and Research Center, the Netherlands

UoB University of Bristol, UK

UoS University of Sheffield, UK

VU Amsterdam University, the Netherlands

WIDECAST Wider Caribbean Sea Turtle Network

WKICS WolfsKater International Consultancy Services B.V.

WSNP Washington Slagbaai National Park

WUR Wageningen University and Research Center, the Netherlands

Below you will find an overview of the reports and publications on biodiversity related subjects in the Dutch Caribbean that came out in or around January 2014. The listed publications can be downloaded from the Dutch Caribbean Biodiversity Database (DCBD) - www.dcbd.nl/resources

Geelhoed, S.C.V.; Janinhoff, N.; Verdaat, J.P.; Bemmelen, R.S.A. van; Scheidat, M. (2014) Aerial surveys of marine mammals and other fauna around Aruba, Curacao and Bonaire, November 2013. IMARES Report no. C012/14 - 22 p.

Green, S.J.; Dulvy, N.K.; Brooks, A.L.M.; Akins, J.L.; Cooper, A.B.; Miller, S.; Côté, I.M. (2014) Linking removal targets to the ecological effects of invaders: a predictive model and field test. Ecological Applications. http://dx.doi.org/10.1890/13-0979.1

Huijbers, C.; Nagelkerken, I.; Debrot, A.O.; Jongejans, E. (2013) Movement across ecosystem boundaries: source-sink population dynamics of a coral reef fish. Ecology 94: 1859-1870.

Lucke, K.; Scheidat, M.; Geelhoed, S.C.V.; Debrot, A.O. (2014)Marine mammals in the Wider Caribbean - Current research and priorities for future studies. IMARES Report no. C007/14 - 38 p.

Ruiz-Ramos, D.V.; Weil, E.; Schizas, N.V. (2014)Morphological and genetic evaluation of the hydrocoral Millepora species complex in the Caribbean. Zoological Studies 53(4):1-15.

Stephen C.L.; Reynoso, V.H.; Collett, W.S.; Hasbun, C.R.; Breinholt, J.W. (2013)Geographical structure and cryptic lineages within common green iguanas, Iguana iguana. Journal of Biogeography 40: 50–62.

Zande, R. van der; Vermeij, M.J.A.; Léon, R. de; Sluijs, A. (2014)Growth, mortality and recruitment rates of the brown alga Lobophora variegata in relation to herbivory and nutrients on Bonaire. 37 p.

Reports and Publications

P-8BioNews Issue 13 P-8

DCNA Contact Information

Dutch Caribbean Nature Alliance | Kaya Finlandia 10a | Kralendijk, Bonaire | Dutch Caribbean+599-717-5010 | info@DCNAnature.org | www.DCNAnature.org | www.DCNA .nl

DCNA’s activities are generously supported by the Dutch PostcodeLottery and the Ministry of the Interior and Kingdom Relations.BioNews is funded by the Ministry of Economic Affairs.

If you do not wish to receive future issues of BioNews, or if you have suggestions of colleagues you would like us to add to our mailing list, please contact us on research@DCNAnature.org

More events to add to this

calendar? Please e-mail us at

research@DCNAnature.org

and we will include them in

the next issue.

February2 Event World Wetlands Day

3 - 7 Meeting IMO Subcomittee Meeting on Pollution Prevention and Response - IMO Headquarters, London, UK

4 Event Goed Geld Gala 2014 - Amsterdam, the Netherlands

19 - 21 Meeting BIOPAMA - Developing a Shared Vision for Improving Access to Information for Protected Area Management - Rodney Bay, Saint Lucia

March17 - 21 Conference World Climate Research Program Conference - Latin America & Caribbean: Developing, Linking and

Applying Climate Knowledge - Montevideo, Uruguay

17 - 19 Meeting DCNA Board Meeting - St. Eustatius

19 Meeting Fisheries Committee meeting - St. Eustatius

20 Meeting EEZ Committee meeting - St. Eustatius

24 - 28 Meeting 47th Meeting of the Ramsar Standing Committee - Gland, Switzerland

26 - 28 Meeting 15th Session Western Central Atlantic Fishery Commission (WECAFC) - Port of Spain, Trinidad

31 - 4 Workshop GEF/UNEP/CABI Workshop “Policies, Strategies and Best Practices for Managing Invasive Alien Species in the Caribbean” - Port of Spain, Trinidad

April7 - 11 Symposium Mangrove Symposium. Annual Meeting of the Western Division of the American Fisheries Society -

Mazatlan, Mexico

8 - 9 Meeting Wider Caribbean Sea Turtle Network (WIDECAST) annual meeting

9 - 12 Meeting 2nd Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) Dialogue Seminar on Scaling up Finance for Biodiversity - Quito, Ecuador

10 - 17 Meeting 34th Annual International Symposium on Sea Turtle Biology and Conservation - New Orleans, Louisiana (USA)

28 - 8 Meeting 27th Meeting of the CITES Animals Committee, 21st Meeting of the CITES Plants Committee and Joint AC/PC Session - Veracruz, Mexico

May6 - 7 Workshop Workshop "Towards the creation of a strategy for the control of lionfish in the Mesoamerican reef" -

Guatemala City, Guatemala.

6 - 9 Conference 33rd Session FAO Regional Conference for Latin America and Caribbean - Santiago de Chile, Chile

14 Conference World Coral Reef Conference - Manado, Indonesia

19 - 23 Meeting NetBiome CSA meeting - Canary Islands, Spain

26 - 30 Conference 39th Annual Conference of the Caribbean Studies Association - Mérida, Mexico

June2 - 6 Symposium 2nd Sharks International Symposium 2014 - Durban, South Africa

3 - 5 Meeting 7th Meeting of the Consultative Committee of Experts of the Inter-American Sea Turtle Convention (IAC) - Tampa, Florida

23 - 27 Meeting 18th Meeting of the CBD Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice (SBSTTA) - Montreal, Canada

JulyTBD Meeting SPAW Scientific and Technical Advisory Committee (STAC) meeting - Cuba

2 - 4 Conference 38th Annual Conference of the Society for Caribbean Studies - Glasgow, Scotland, UK

7 - 11 Meeting 65th Meeting of the CITES Standing Committee - Geneva, Switzerland

CalendarBioNews provides you with an overview of nature conservation and management related events coming up in

the next months.